The Holiday Season Can Be a Nightmare for Misophonia Sufferers.
A 23-year-old anticipates being with her loved ones this Christmas, but says one of the only ways she'll manage to get through it is by wearing her noise-cancelling devices - particularly at Christmas dinner.
In her case, the holidays often feels like a especially challenging period as the sounds of people eating, slurping and breathing heavily trigger profound anxiety.
"I experience this wave of sudden panic, my every muscle will just tense up and it as though I'm in a threatening situation, and I need to somehow control these noises."
The individual has lived with this condition since she was 16 and for her that makes the festive season "exceptionally stressful".
Misophonia is an intense sensitivity to certain sounds, notably sounds produced by individuals.
It's surprisingly common across the population. Researchers discovered nearly 20% people are affected by it.
Typically it's sounds linked to eating or drinking that trigger a reaction, along with things like chewing, heavy breathing, and repetitive finger tapping.
'Anxiety Inducing'
Lottie says: "There are so many assorted problematic noises at the holidays and that can be anxiety inducing and make you fear it.
"Those close to me are understanding, but I'm very conscious that I don't want to spoil the mood. It's like a constant struggle of enduring my distress to make sure others enjoy themselves."
So it's easy to understand why the most wonderful season can quickly turn into a living nightmare for sufferers.
Noises that may be considered normal, like someone slurping a Buck's fizz, rustling a roll of wrapping paper, or eating the holiday meal can cause a visceral feeling that can even result in them skipping events entirely.
The student, a university student, who has dealt with sound sensitivity from childhood, explains currently her plan is to use headphones to get through dinner. Usually, she would often retreat in a separate space to escape distressing triggers.
She explains her condition is more pronounced around people she's closest to, so the holidays is always "hard".
"People assume you to spend time with loved ones, and I want to, but it's physically and mentally challenging.
"It's like this uncontrollable anger washes over me, which can feel shameful, or I'll feel anxious and immediately start crying and then panic will kick in.
"It can come across as if I'm being unreasonable and melodramatic, but it's tough to describe without firsthand experience."
Several Strategies to Manage
For those affected then there are various strategies you can try to cope the situation, according to clinical psychologists.
- Visualise a Different Scenario: Creative thinking is crucial. Work on connecting the specific noise bothering you with a neutral concept. As an illustration, try to picture someone's slurping is just a waterfall. By doing this is to teach your brain that the sound triggering you is neutral.
- Try a Competition: Use lightheartedness and make the irritating noise into a challenge with the culprit. As an example, if someone is eating noisily try joining in. By mimicking, instead of feeling like the sound is unwanted, you become an active participant. And the challenge should help distract your brain and make you somewhat less sensitive.
- Craft a Story: One more method is to try to invent a reason about why the person making the noise is having to make that sound. For example if someone was sniffing, perhaps they're not in good health or are troubled. This approach is altering the perception of the sound. While the noise stays the same, your understanding of it moves from being aggravating, to feeling a little more neutral about it.
